I write tales of mystery and magic. Be fearless. Come join my world.

With my sweet, sweet Penny, the newest addition to my family.

About Vicki

Vicki's fantasy suspense series, The Afterworld Chronicles, launched with Chest of Bone, the tale of a Mage, a Monster, and a Mission. Chest of Stone, Book 2 in the series is out Nov. 14, 2017. Her mystery/thrillers include Body Parts, The Dead Stone, The Bone Man (a Daphne du Maurier award nominee), and The Grief Shop, a Daphne du Maurier award winner. All feature homicide counselor Tally Whyte.

The Afterworld Chronicles' third novel, Chest of Time, will hit shelves in 2018, and she is pounding the keys on the series' fourth novel, Chest of Fire.

Vicki’s writing and photography have also appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Worcester Magazine, Wild Fibers, Dive Training, and other national publications. She co-wrote (with Lisa Souza) and photographed the non-fiction 10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters. With her late husband, William G. Tapply, she ran The Writers Studio workshops in creative fiction.

For six years, Vicki taught fiction writing, creative writing, and modern media writing at Clark University. She mentors writers and students and critiques writing in a variety of genres, from partial to completed manuscripts.

A More Personal Take:

| What I Care About

I care about people. I also care deeply about writing and teaching, two sides of the same coin. Few things satisfy more than crafting magical worlds or unlocking the doors of a student’s imagination.

| My Crazy Life

I grew up in professional theater—my family owned and ran the Ivoryton Playhouse for forty-two years, an Equity stock theater in Connecticut. At Ivoryton, I worked as an usher, a walk-on, a secretary, an apprentice, a ticket-seller, and an assistant business manager. My theater upbringing has been one of the defining elements in my life.

After college, I planned to become an actress, with a bent for song and dance. I didn't. Instead, I worked as an assistant producer for a New Jersey stock company, a professional photographer, a high-school Drama and English teacher, a hamburger slinger, a scuba-shop manager, and an editor. I've also counseled adolescents and worked with law enforcement professionals.

I am Blake's and Ben's mom, my favorite role of all, and mom to a furry pack who include my mystery pup, Penny, and my occasional overnight guest, my grandpup Bash.

| My Passions

All of the above, plus passions for scuba diving and fly fishing and knitting; photography and movies; vinho verde and bourbon (not together!); Maine lobster and chocolate (also not together!); and musical comedy scores, which I sing in the shower, unfortunately not an Equity venue; and a fascination with people in all walks of life.

I read voraciously. I write every day. Few things trump conjuring magical worlds and crafting characters who soar.